Has Black Fly Season Started? (Londonderry, Hanover: buying a house, buying, live in)

[Mustard]

Wondering if black fly season has started in NH yet, especially the Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee area.

Thanks!

[woodchuck]

Originally Posted by Mustard

Wondering if black fly season has started in NH yet, especially the Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee area.

Thanks!

I live in Londonderry and I noticed a few Black Flies while out working in my yard a couple of days ago. It should be an interesting season. Usually, Black Flies start dying off once the temperatures reach the mid-eighties. Here it is the start of the BF season and the temp today is 83 degrees. It's been dry here for about the past week so that might have hindered their breeding. All of this can change in a relatvely short period of time though.

[leggo]

I saw one or two day before yesterday -- and I am in the Lake Sunapee region.

Usually around Mothers day -- so I'll wait until Sunday until I break out the full Bug Jacket and Bug Headnet.

I remember coming to this area from Vermont, and seeing people working in their gardens with the complete Bug Suit, looking like some HAZMAT worker.

I snorted and said - we have bugs in Vermont .... how bad can it really be, it is just accross the Conn. River.

Ha --- I found out the next year as a flock of Black Flies tried to kill me in my garden -------- I went out and bought the HAZMAT suit so I could get yardwork done.

I vote that we move the Legislature to declare the Blackfly as the New Hampshire State Bird.


On a nice note -- I did see a Ruby throated Hummingbird come to my feeder last night.

[Mustard]

Thanks, guys, keep us updated! We are moving to NH in August but need to find a home first. Was thinking about coming up in early June, but since we don't have hazmat suits I think my kids might be eaten alive. Don't need a bad first experience for them.

Cheers.

[nhyrnut]

To Not come during the bug season, would be setting up the kids wouldn't it? Let them see how it gets first hand. Besides the bugs might not be as bad in some areas. I am not sure where you remember, but the Only people I know that actually suit up for these little pest are by a swamp in Hillsboro. A little bug replant goes along way. You will find it is not as bad as you think. I don't know who said what, or what you recall. But Black flies are not that bad here, except for remote areas.

[Mustard]

Had swarms of them in Londonderry, VT a few years ago. Granted it was a house in the woods, but . . .

I don't know. I have heard and read a lot of stories about how bad black fly bites hurt and so forth.

[woodchuck]

Originally Posted by Mustard

Had swarms of them in Londonderry, VT a few years ago. Granted it was a house in the woods, but . . .

I don't know. I have heard and read a lot of stories about how bad black fly bites hurt and so forth.

They do swarm more in the woods than in the clear areas. But, so do mosquitoes. Black Fly bites don't really hurt anymore than mosquitoes but they do seem itch more and last longer. Black Flies seek the highest point of heat from your body. I used to play in a recreational softball league and it wasn't uncommon to see guys playing in the outfield holding their glove above their heads. The flies would swarm around the glove instead of your head. Interesting is that their season begins on Mother's Day and ends on Father's Day. One can draw many conclusions form that !!! LOL !

[Mustard]

The problem for my wife and oldest son is that they swell up when bitten by insects. Not a big deal with mosquitos because we can stay inside at night. Black flies are a problem because just when the weather is getting nice they are scheduled to make allergic people stay indoors or dress in "hazmat" suits.

Any idea if the correlation betwee the mothers' day to fathers' day timing and the "they disappear when it gets 80 degrees" observation are just coincidence? As noted, it has already been 80 degrees in Hanover this spring. Maybe the temperature has nothing to do with the black fly season, it just happens to normally turn about 80 degrees around fathers' day.

[Mustard]

Holy Moly.

So we up in Hanover this weekend worried about black fly season and there were none to be found, but in some parts of town near the woods the mosquitos were SWARMING all day long.

Anyone have any thoughts on mosquitos in NH? We were all set on buying a house, but the mosquitos were everywhere as we stood outside at mid-day! I'm used to mosquitos at night, fine, but all day long!?

Is this unusual?

[leggo]

You missed black fly season -- they left here about a week ago, save a pesky one or two. It wasn't too bad this year -- only 2-3 week long season, and I only had to wear my full bug jacket 3 times.!!!

We are "enjoying" mosquito season now -- I had to put up a screen house in order to use my deck. We had dinner out there last night and we counted close to 2 dozen banging themselves silly on the screens trying to get in. My kid commented on them, called them "blood thirsty little vampires"
I heard one biologist on NPR comment about all the bugs we get in NH -- he said it is a good thing ........ it means we have clean,unpolluted water.
Anyways, get a screen house, and maybe one of those propane Mosquito traps -- their expensive -- $400, but I heard they do work.
Mosquito season will last until September, when the frost kills 'em -- Although they wont be so bloodthirsty in a couple of weeks.
Good luck.